A common complaint for many of my female patients is hair loss. Here is a repeat of a blog I posted two years ago that is still relevant.

If you have been experiencing excessive hair loss and you are female, you are not alone. Approximately 37% of women experience hair loss after menopause. The most common cause is female pattern baldness.

What Is It?

Female pattern baldness is hair loss from the top of the head, the hairline and general thinning over the entire head. It is normal to lose about 100 to 125 hairs a day. More than this can result in female pattern baldness.

What causes it?

Of course there is no easy answer. There are many things that contribute to this including genetics, aging, and changing hormone levels. In particular dropping estrogen levels in relationship to testosterone levels can contribute (resulting in a higher ratio of testosterone to estrogen). The myth of women inheriting their baldness from their fathers is just that, a myth! Thank goodness! (My dad started losing his hair in his 30’s!).

Are there treatable causes?

The most common cause of hair loss that I see is thyroid disease. It can happen with hypo or hyperthyroidism. It also can occur with diabetes and autoimmune diseases such as lupus.

Is there a treatment for female pattern baldness?

There is one approved treatment for women and that is minoxidil or Rogaine. It helps hair growth in 20 to 25 % of women. It can stop or slow down hair loss. It only works as long as it is being used. Once stopped, hair loss continues. Hair transplants can be effective for reducing the appearance of hair loss.

Final Words

If you are losing hair, it is important to find out if there is an underlying cause. If it is due to female pattern baldness, you can consider Rogaine. In the future there may be hormone creams for the scalp. They are in the process of being studied.